Encanto Theory: Why Abuela Didn’t Respect Luisa

[@arvayahrozier4402]

Speaking of all of the responsibility Luisa carries. I wanted to point out a scene in the film where a man in the background tells Luisa that "The donkey's got out again". I 've noticed that the entire village relies on the gifts of the Madrigals but they don't seem to do much in terms of solving their own problems. Going back to that same scene with the donkeys, I wonder why the person responsible for taking care of the animals didn't go out to find them instead. Sure, Luisa could easily carry them all, but they're donkeys, not eggs, they don't need to be gathered up and carried. The village relies too much on the magical gifts of one family and not enough on their own abilities as a community to get things done.

[@bloatedcow1361]

Yeah, it's like the citizens from Megamind. Metro man was always saving the day so why should they care in making better airplanes or better police authority if Metro Man would come and help them. And I hate that the people are being so lazy, not trying to catch your own donkeys? Are they really that lazy to rely on a girl rather than doing it themselves? Don't they feel concerned about Luisa, with how much tasks she does everyday?

[@arvayahrozier4402]

@@bloatedcow1361 Exactly! Since when is Luisa responsible for everyone's heavy lifting? Just because she is super strong doesn't mean that she should have to do everyone's job.

[@erikas.6790]

That's exactly what I was thinking, why don't they keep their donkeys better? I mean it's clear that wasn't the first time, so why don't you lock them better? Because there was Luisa who can gather them? That's just stupid

[@StarryEyed0590]

I think that's why it's so important that the town shows up at the end to help them rebuild. The townspeople know the Madrigals have been giving and serving so much... it's their turn to give back and serve them

[@anvisriva1824]

It also explains why everyone was so quick to shun and isolate Bruno. His gift was the only one to be inconvenient to them even tho they were probably the ones to constantly ask him to show their future. The second he shows them something they don’t like they say that Bruno makes bad things happen we don’t talk abt him even tho he doesn’t even control the future

[@RhythmShorts]

I hate seeing people call Luisa a "cry baby" when she's not. She just broke down cause she felt, in her own words, "worthless" cause she was loosing her gift. And seeing her admit that she cries is one of the strongest thing a person can do

[@jackmack4181]

I’m a six foot tall giant of a man but when I start to feel like I can’t contribute or help anyone in my family, I to start to get up set.

[@RhythmShorts]

@cherrydollthere's actually a video out there titled "Enchanto, but it's only Luisa being a cry baby"

[@raywhitethorngalathynius]

Yes that annoys me so much!

[@lyssy6452]

Honestly I would probably have broke down too 💔

[@xempororhxppyx]

@cherrydoll I’ve seen a comment say that 😐

[@cassie6146]

When you consider that Luisa is not only the middle child of the family but has also been using her gift to serve the community since she was five, her situation becomes even more heartbreaking since Luisa had to grow up far too fast. Older siblings and middle children are often expected to carry a lot on their shoulders, sometimes even having to serve as second parents. But they're still children too and it just isn't fair to place so many adult responsibilities on them before they are ready.

[@chaoticneutralgamer3022]

As someone who is the oldest of three siblings, I feel this. My parents straight up expect me to basically be whatever THEY want me to be instead of what I want. I mean, I know they mean well, but sometimes it feels like way too much pressure.

[@Shutyourmouth20]

I had to watch my 5 sisters at 9 when my parents were out I cooked for all of them at 10 for 5 months straight and continued to cook most meals for them afterwards I took care of them a lot

[@cynicalbutterscotch6581]

@@chaoticneutralgamer3022 exactly but I have just me and my brother, who gets away with so much it’s not funny. I could rant about that but I don’t feel like ruining anyone’s mood, also nice username

[@scarletrevon522]

Same well I don’t have five siblings but since I was six I’ve been watching my younger sister and making food and now that I have a four year old brother I’m watching him a lot too especially since every time my little sis watches him he somehow gets hurt every time so they don’t trust him with her leaving all the baby siting to me.

[@chaoticneutralgamer3022]

@@cynicalbutterscotch6581 I could say the same about my sister but yeah I understand why. We'd be here all night lol Also, thank you.

[@LtIsadeCaine]

I don't know if anyone else mentioned this but the only people that showed concern for Luisa were Maribel and Agustin. I loved the scene when Luisa runs crying saying she's a loser and Agustin runs after her. Agustin is such a wholesome character and stood up for his youngest daughters. Sometimes I wonder how often he clashed with Abuela.

[@powerpuff_avenger]

Ehehehe.

[@aromaticchicken518]

He clearly was not a pushover to Abuela for his daughters -- when Abuela is angry he didn't tell her about the prophecy and Augustin says "I was thinking about my daughter!!" it's clear that it is not the first time he has stood up to Abuela before. Julieta is also firm in supporting Mirabel in that scene too

[@lucidfangirl1030]

Not Julia?

[@dae8665]

For sure.. you can see Agustin and Julieta defend Mirabel and Luisa, but Agustin is more open (since he was an outsider coming into the family). Julieta has a harder time standing up to her mother, because well, sometimes it's hard to stand up for yourself or your kids because you were taught to listen to your parents. I do wonder if maybe Agustin ever tried to talk to Isa about marriage, because Isa's expressions clearly show she was uncomfortable about Mariano. I feel like Agustin would've 100% rejected the proposal if Isa had told her parents she didn't feel comfortable about it. I adore the fathers, Agustin and Felix for standing up for the family against Abuela. (Felix always defended Pepa's emotions even tho Alma didn't like seeing the clouds)

[@rhythmicmusicswap4173]

At least Mirabel had her parents support... Julieta seems to only interact with Mirabel ,at least Agustin run to console Luisa after the disaster

[@tayloredwards4968]

I love her she's a gentle giant. And a lot of time the middle child is always ignored. Especially in cartoons

[@Daydream-247]

As a middle child, this slapped me hard.

[@Sal_Bluefire]

@@Daydream-247 Ad a middle child this hit me like a bus

[@gregorbaby4269]

I like her quote "I glow because I know what my worth is"... I love her big cuddly bear personality

[@robin_exists]

My brother is the middle child but he has it good

[@lavatarh]

exactly like camilo from encanto hes a middle child and he barely got an appearance in the movie? Funfact I'm also a middle child ;))

[@JlMBO11]

luisa is practically abuela's servant, she has burdens outside of just chores. she's a person too, she has emotional struggles and she barely has enough time to do all her chores, let alone cope with the overwhelming pressure abuela places on her and isabella.

[@nathamburger]

ur pfp got me. haha.

[@badwolficreatemyself7669]

Honestly I feel this on a whole other level. I was the third child out of four kids, the only girl in the family and ever since I turned 13 my mom has been trying to dictate to me what a girl should wear and act. I have three brothers so the prospect of me being girly was never an option for me, I grew up wanting to build Legos and play with cars rather then Barbie dolls but still to this day I want to cook meals for myself. I work in a daycare from 7:45 in the morning to about 5:00 at night 5 days a week, when I get home to my mom's house where I still live, I'm expected to do the dishes and cook food for myself while at the same time preparing for work the next day. It's no wonder I feel stressed every weekday, on the weekends sometimes it's no better because my niece and nephew sometimes come over and I feel like she pawns them off on me half the time. Once I move out I'm doing things my own way and not hers

[@shannonhensley2942]

Its up to Luisa to be useful because while Isabella has a cool talent at the end of the day its just decoration. She isn't making food. She isn't making the land easier to farm. And Mirabel is considered useless entirely. So Luisa is the person that has to be around to make up for that.

[@GlisteningDes1ra3]

@@badwolficreatemyself7669 See, that's what Alma was doing this whole time. Making Isabela seem like the spitting image of her younger self and giving Luisa all the practical work.

[@BambiLena666]

@@shannonhensley2942 Tbh this seems to kinda be the case for all of the grandchildren. What does Dolores do with her ability to hear really well? Shapeshifting... ok? talking to animals seems it could be potentially more useful later on but mostly just fun and he just got it. Luisa is the only grandchild that can "repay the gift" as grandma says by tangibly helping the village.

[@celtichound9889]

I noticed how when Mirabel hugged Luisa. Luisa froze and then clung to her little sister for a long time. Maybe, it's just the middle child in me talking but it did look like it looked like she didn't know how to respond to physical affection but was still desperate for it.

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

That sounds sad

[@guitarjourney6191]

Probably I am the youngest yet I was forced being the oldest yet middle child. I feel a lot like Luisa and Isabella if I am not strong or perfect…

[@breademperoar9613]

I feel Luisa is also one of the few people that appreciated Mirabel. She never really condemned her nor blamed her for anything and even somewhat respected her as a sister.

[@fightsportnews4329]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3u5l6yvfrd7rNE

[@dez-m]

Fr...

[@vyarabrennan7087]

yes if was more shown then told.

[@Al1701]

Alma seemed to treat Julieta's children as she treated her own. Julieta and Isabella are the responsible oldest sibling and paragon of the family. Bruno and Mirabel was the are black sheep, always seeming to cause trouble. Pepa and Luisa are the middle children who just need to do what they're told. Pepa needs to keep the weather under control (Alma only acknowledged her existence when she had a cloud over her head, and only to tell her to get rid of it and not showing concern for the emotions at the root of its existence) and Luisa needs to do whatever her super strength is needed for. Notice how both are the most emotionally unstable and try to force themselves to show they're happy on the outside. And Pepa's responses to Alma were "What do you want from me?" and "I'm doing my best". That could easily be Luisa's responses in thirty years if they didn't reconcile (and Alma is 105...). And she pretty much ignores Pepa's children. She pays attention to Antonio leading up to his party, but the next day he's just another tool in the toolbox.

[@dae8665]

For sure Alma put more pressure on Julieta's children. Even Dolores doesn't get bothered by Abuela, even tho Dolores is the same age as Isa and could also be married to expand the Madrigal bloodline ):

[@dhalmahernandez_dy]

@@dae8665 I think that is because Julieta was the firstborn of the triplets and Isabela was Julieta's firstborn, so they had to carry all the responsibilities it entailed

[@valeriadavalos4724]

Julieta has the most talented and helpful children. Isabela is the golden child thar grow flowers and has beauty while Luisa is super strong and can do physical chores as building houses and move big things. I wouldn't be surprise Abuela Alma get her to fight

[@nantae1047]

Copy of another comment: aparently the director said abuela was more than happy to welcome Félix to the Madrigals but tried to talk Julieta out of marrying Agústin, so she may feel like Félix's kids are on good hands but she should keep an eye on agústin's

[@Al1701]

@@nantae1047 Or she was less concerned with who Pepa married than who Julieta did. Which is why she wanted to control Isabella's marriage. She was going to make sure her essential clone married the right man this time.

[@ChristyTina22]

"Give it to your sister, your sister's older. Give her all the things we can't shoulder." Those lyrics hit home for me. Luisa is my favorite Madrigal.

[@noahlast]

“Give it to your sister and never wonder if the same pressure would’ve pulled you under.” Hit pretty deep for me, Luisa definitely deserves more love ❤️

[@vio3366]

That song was beautifully written, I can't really relate to it but that is such a deep song, loved it.

[@TeddieSage1987]

I love her so much... T_T

[@guitarjourney6191]

She is amazing!

[@shoothead8106]

who am i if i cant carry it all if i falter

[@stellar8606]

Luisa is my favourite character in encanto, unlike Isabela who never gave up an opportunity to bully mirabel, Luisa always treated mirabel as a younger sister and not someone who doesn't belong in the family. This shows how big her heart is.

[@nantae1047]

That's all on Abuela constantly telling Isa she is superior to Mirabel

[@jinx8627]

Hot take: Isa has always been expected to be perfect, so much so that it has hindered the growth of her powers. Mirabel is essentially forgotten by the family, while Isabella is constantly shoved into the limelight. Her attitude towards Mirabel comes from a place of internalized anger. She lashes out because of her reputation as the superior golden child that Mirabel perceives as entitlement. “I sacrificed everything for this family and can’t afford to have it ruined” mentality. I’m not forgiving her behavior towards Mirabel in the beginning of the movie, but that’s my two cents on her character

[@carolinahurtado4949]

@@marga.9793 Isabela indeed picks more on Mirabel than Mirabel on Isabela, also I think that Isabella could have done more for their relationship because she should be more mature than Mirabel given her age. But there is bias in the movie favoring Mirabel's side. Mirabel did some side comments against Isabella, in the song The Family Madrigal, Maribel says to Mariano and the kids that her sister is a "Prima Donna" and then kinda regrets the comment because she knows that it is not something that you should say to the future husband of your sister. When Maribel is talking to Julieta calls "Effortlessly perfect" and "señorita perfecta" to Isabella. So, Maribel was not working to improve their relationship. I would say that that was the point to keep the movie evolving. Maribel has a good relationship with Luisa and her cousins, but not with Isabela then she learns how to fix her family by talking to Isabela and acknowledging her struggles. Also, another thing, Mirabel has the support of her parents, they were aware of her struggle because she didn't get a gift, but Isabela and Luisa didn't have them enough. They didn't notice how Luisa was been treated by the villagers and didn't know that Isabela didn't want to get married to Mariano.

[@tourmelion9221]

@@nantae1047 she's 21 and mirabelle is 15 By 21 you're not supposed to be the more immature, and if you pick on a family member there isn't an excuse especially when they're worse off, and didn't start first, she's an adult to be married, if she wants to be a bitch than that's all it is, sure she's under pressure, but she antagonises mira on her own valition and keeps it up.

[@Picassostrash]

@@marga.9793 literally snapping my fingers now good argument

[@Vailjnovelist]

Abuela is the ultimate "it's okay that my kids have it bad because I had it worse" kind of parent.

[@mexicoxv2236]

jajaj that is a very normal latinoamerica mentality, if you say something is difficult the grandmother will respond, that in our age she crossed river, kill dragon and fought in wars just to go the school.

[@aircoolguy5218]

I didn’t know that there were parents that didn’t do that

[@azurecerulean1279]

still i hate it when people pass off abuela's trauma and stuff as just her being a bitchy grandmother

[@calypsofei9476]

This is so my mom

[@Trollestiatumblur]

@@azurecerulean1279 I don’t think anybody is dismissing her traumas. But she needs to be held accountable for how she is hurting her family. Having trauma does not mean you can hurt people.

[@OcraStars]

There's a small detail during the breakfast scene someone pointed out: Julieta is the only one carrying her own glass, while Luisa is carrying everyone else's. It's a small gesture, but it shows that she (along with Mirabel) may be the only one to true notice her daughter's needs. 🥰💕

[@ShirShe27]

wow. I didn't notice that

[@flyguy8814]

I didn't realize that, I thought Luisa just had a bunch of orange juice for herself

[@strugglingcollegestudent]

Wow y’all are really observant

[@kotoko5021]

Some people have their own glass too, I think Luisa drink all of them :0

[@edra2005]

The reason they don't give physical responsibilities to Isabella is because they see her as a prize for marriage so they hand off the chores/responsibilities to Luisa so not only does Luisa have to work hard to make up for Mirabel not having a gift but also because they don't want Isabella to do any hard work neither for fear that it could affect her marriage chances They probably don't see Luisa as somebody who can be suitable for marriage so they treat her like a mule

[@dest1210]

Yeah I think they said the only thing Isa did for the town was help grow the palm trees they used to make candles😭😭😭

[@CaityRaindrop]

I presumed the pressure for marriage was on Isabella first as she's the first born grandchild, and that pressure would transfer to the next oldest (either Luisa or Delores I'm unsure who's older) if she did get married, not that they thought Luisa was undesirable to any partner

[@MrSasunaru101]

@@CaityRaindrop i think Dolores is older

[@forestgrump4723]

@@CaityRaindrop I think they gave up on Dolores marrying due to Bruno's vision. "The man of my dreams will be just out of reach, betrothed to another"

[@Annahg78]

@@MrSasunaru101 With respect they were just talking about Mirabel and her sisters. Isabella is the oldest, Luisa is the middle, and Maribel is the youngest. Now when we bring in cousins Dolores for sure is older than Mirabel but I’m thinking probably younger than Luisa. That’s my guess.

[@MariaIsabel_Fufuria]

As someone from a Spanish-Filipino family, I see this OFTEN in many families, including mine. I didn't even "notice" it because it's so culturally commonplace. I felt for Bruno and Mirabel being the youngest and most quirky kid (the "disappointment/rebel") but with Luisa, I see my...middle child older brother, being the people pleaser, "good and obedient" one, who tries hard to show his worth to the family ("the good boy") and our eldest brother the "perfect one", the one who could do no wrong (but bears the weight of the whole family, now that my parents are old and retired). Our grandparents have long since passed, but as an adult now, I see the familiar, heirarchial expectations ans obligations, and we CAN'T/SHOULDN'T even question it. (Which is why some Hispanic, Latino and Asian families say/joke that the only thing "unrealistic" was that Abuela Alma admitted her mistakes...) because Lord knows, that RARELY EVER HAPPENS in real life. lol!!!

[@sofiasevilla74]

Can relate too, coming from a Spanish descent filipino family😢 Personally, I relate to Isabella (being the eldest of five) I lash out on my younger sister. I'm not sure why exactly, but I always did. I singled her out, ignore her, readily blame her when something bad happens to me...and now I can see how it's affecting her. I'm not the best older sister. And as I got older, I feel I'm starting to fall out of my parent's good graces. I've been rebellious towards them so now our youngest sister is the 'favorite'. My parents insist they have no favorites, but it's clear they do. Another favorite of theirs, specifically my mom, is our only brother. My younger brother gets away with a lot, and mom with always say 'I love you' to him, then quickly adds 'i love all of you' when she realizes her other children are in the room. Our grandma also favors our cousin (who's a lot like Isabella) it's pretty blatant. Family gatherings suck

[@ameliagrein5070]

I was also thinking it was quite a stretch that Abuela admitted her faults like that.

[@unknownperson8527]

Damn double homicide huh? Spanish and Filipino 😔 For clarification, this is a joke. I am Filipino and know how bad it is but imagine two differing yet closely related cultures and incredibly large families.. Oof

[@m1dzyy990]

I s a b e l p a n c a k e s

[@luisamadrigal4919]

Same and Chinese this is a rp acc

[@evelynzendejas9193]

wow 😮 I didn’t even know that the abuela did not respect Luisa, but showing the evidence that clearly said so just blew me away

[@brandonn.pieters2147]

@@RedFrogReal Mhm?

[@VATJON]

@@RedFrogReal Abuela in Spanish

[@MahilandoesYT]

by grandma u mean abuela right?

[@evelynzendejas9193]

@@MahilandoesYT yes

[@lucidfangirl1030]

Same

[@vixenbakstrikesagain5943]

Literally one of her lines in her song is "I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service." And I felt so bad for her and felt like Abuela has been doing this to her, her whole life! Or at least once she got her gift, she put her to work immediately after. Which honestly is upsetting, sure you could ask her to help every once in a while, but not every day for every little thing.

[@Kahtisemo]

What's sad is she probably did that with all of them given how we see THE NEXT MORNING after Antonio's ceremony, she tells the family they must find a use for his gift and even gushes at Mariano wanting five kids by celebrating "more gifts!" So all of the grandkids have likely had it ingrained into them they're nothing without their gifts and then her treatment of Mirabel (even if she was the last ceremony) only reinforced that. Which I think is why Antonio was hiding from his ceremony, it's not so much he's afraid of not getting a gift as he's afraid of how the family will react if it doesn't work. He knows Mirabel is fine and loves her but also has seen how she's treated.

[@vixenbakstrikesagain5943]

@@Kahtisemo Yes! And also When they were celebrating the gift after Mirabel leaned back to see Luisa, Abuela was saying "We will work twice as hard today" And I was like bro you are already overworking them!

[@amandac6240]

I think they are 5-7 years old when they get their gifts. So basically their childhood is taken, cause they have to immediately start serving the community. Louisa had a birthday, then right to building, gathering, carting around stuff and doing everything people wanted.

[@vixenbakstrikesagain5943]

@@amandac6240 Antonio is 5 years old. I believe they were all 5 when they got their gifts

[@Thomas_Winters]

God I love her

[@maxieljeffers5360]

No one asked Luisa if she was okay when she came crying cause she lost her gift TT no one hugged her and told her it was okay. So I'm gladtha Mirabel pointed out "you're more than just your gift"

[@andrewgreeb916]

Agustin ran after her

[@seraphinaeyukine]

Disney underestimated how popular Luisa is. The rumor mill is that Disney thought people would like Isabella because she's pretty but in reality people absolutely just love Luisa. She is the finest example of the sibling that does the most (mostly the middle child) and gets no reward or thanks. It broke my heart watching Encanto and how people treated her. Luisa deserves so much better.

[@seraphinaeyukine]

@Lee Brown Dude, I was just typing what one of my cast member friends told me about merchandise not the actual character. In the past girls would gravitate towards more feminine and “perfect” characters, Isa being a prime example, but with today’s girls or rather kids in general, that is no longer the case. Disney needs to make more Luisa merchandise imo.

[@DevlinBlake]

Lol. They actually made the same mistake abuela made. They took her for granted it, underestimated her. They expected that the Pretty and perfect one would be the popular one and put other hopes and dreams on her.

[@ThatOneGanyuMain]

@@DevlinBlake Apparently that was Disney, not the writers themselves. Idk how to explain it, but I read somewhere that the ones that made Encanto practically begged to be able to include Luisa in the film the way she was.

[@machin8593]

@@DevlinBlake the writers fought to make Luisa buff, Disney wanted a strong power but not too much muscle, again, thinking a pretty character would work best... In the end people love her the way she is and that's what the writers fought for. The merch is another thing...

[@GeminiisEmma]

Being the middle child myself and literally referred to as the "break between the two storms" meaning my Older and younger sibling were more "problematic" so you just kind of get. . . . ignored. You shoulder a lot and don't get the same "attention" or help that the other two get. "The squeaky wheels get the grease" so to speak so the fact that Luisa as doing everything "right" meant she didn't need the attention, guidance or recognition. She was just. . . there

[@oiseaufeu]

I think it's Mirabel who got the most disrespect from Abuela as she didn't get a gift. I did see Abuela's interactions with Mirabel and it was quite terrible (in the begining at least). Plus I also think that most of the other Madrigals and the villagers reminding her of not having a gift is some sort of bullying. Thus, making Mirabel feels useless to her family and then arguing with Abuela and destroying the house. I only agree that putting pressure and expectations on the family has negative consequences on the relationship a family has.

[@rainyoomori7686]

Dw abuela can disrespect more than one person

[@yesplease6399]

shed disrespect luisa too if luisa didnt do what she was told right away

[@oiseaufeu]

@@rainyoomori7686 I didn't say she wasn't disrespectful towards oters, just that she was even more with Mirabel as she doesn't have a gift.

[@oiseaufeu]

@@yesplease6399 I also talked about putting pressure on others is bad. I've seen Abuela put so much pressure on evryone who has a gift to help the community. It's just putting fear into someone because the person will think of the terrible consequences if it fails to what's expected of him/her.

[@iammemys2213]

Disagree. The way she reacted to Mirabel was how parents act towards "trouble maker" children but Luisa was treated like a slave. Much lower than Mirabel.

[@Orto-jj2di]

*Well like mirabel said : Luisa will never be strong enough for abuela*

[@xoxshinobuxox]

Someone push abuela down casita stairs

[@elmo8150]

@@xoxshinobuxox YESSSSSS

[@brgirl4493]

@@xoxshinobuxox YES PLEASE!

[@eeveestars3668]

@@xoxshinobuxox Ive got to agree woth you abuela is a jerk and I honstly dont think she had actaly changed by the end of the movie

[@xoxshinobuxox]

@@eeveestars3668 she really got the guts to willingly forget that her son existed, ignored mirabel becuase she didn't have a gift, didn't even try to comfort luisa when she was crying about her gift, literally only acknowledged pepa when she had a cloud on her head and this is why Pedro sacrificed himself so he could escape the wicked witch of the west

[@sumwitegurnm6558]

Luisa is my favorite of Julietas daughters, she is great representation for how a woman can be both strong and feminine; something I wish i had at a younger age.

[@YellowBear-kx1ff]

Yeah well, both Snow White and Cinderella are feminine and emotionally strong.

[@optimisticprime5711]

@@YellowBear-kx1ff you’re right, but society did them dirty. I remember when I was a kid being taught to look down on them for being feminine and “waiting around for a man”. And it’s still being taught today, which is why so many people miss the point of those stories. As an adult I understand you can be both strong and feminine, but I wish I knew I had that kind of role model as a kid, so I didn’t have to try so hard to be the tomboy that I wasn’t.

[@tymondabrowski12]

@Daily Inspiration You can search for the video called "Cinderella: Stop Blaming the Victim", it shows quite an interesting take on her character (how she shows mental strength despite not being able to escape her abuse before the events of the movie, and that she did try on her own, like sewing her own dress, and she wasn't really as passive as people now try to portray her) and also shows the movie in context of the time (why the morals there were to be optimistic despite having hard times - it was not long after the war, where everyone had hard time economically, the individualist approach we have today might've not be the most useful/helpful at those times).

[@queenratiganthefirst5442]

I don't hate Abuela, but she is absolutely my least favorite Encanto character. Yes, she suffered horribly when she was young, but that doesn't excuse her gaslighting and mentally abusing her children and grandchildren.

[@cisio64123]

I didn't like Abuela Alma at all. Yes I was sad for all of the losses she suffered as a young woman but it really infuriated me on how she let that trauma and her fears become so toxic to her family. She was far too hard on all of them and put unrealistic expectations on them that nearly destroyed their family . I know I'm not the only one who cheered when Mirabel gave her the truth that she needed to hear that none of her family would EVER be good enough or perfect enough for her no matter what and that she was the one causing the Casita to crumble because she was breaking their family apart with her toxicity. I couldn't help but notice even at the end she just had to say the foundation of the new Casita wasn't perfect and still had to be put kindly into check by Mirabel reminding her that neither were they. She just got her home back but still ungratefully found something to complain about because it wasn't up to her standards. It's like dang woman *learn your lesson* that not everything or everyone must exist in the world to be your definition of perfect so stop trying to force it to be .

[@iammemys2213]

She didn't gaslight anyone and the point of her character is that she doesn't understand that she is abusing anyone. You paint her as a monster who is just being evil for the sake of it but she is an extremely traumatised woman who is unable to respond to her family in a healthy manner because of how traumatised she is. She never intended to hurt anyone. She is trying to protect her family. She basically just doesn't understand that she is hurting anyone and thinks she is protecting them until Mirabel talks to her. This is why communication matter

[@cisio64123]

@@iammemys2213 Her trauma does not excuse the fact that she emotionally abused her family and was a monster. She put undue pressure on her family to be perfect for appearances and scapegoated anyone like Mirabel and Bruno who didn't live up to her impossible standards. She KNEW Mirabel was telling the truth about the cracks in the Casita but called her a liar in front of everyone to save face in front of the villagers. She never actually cared for her family, who they were or how they felt just their gifts and how they could reflect HER to the village. Notice the fit she had when her favorite Isabella dared to show her true self and not the perfect image she wanted, which of course was scapegoat Mirabel's fault ...as was everything. Poor Luisa was basically made a servant to her family and village so much so that she believed that was her only worth. Mirabel was right they were NEVER going to be enough because Abuela was only going to keep on with her impossible expectations until she ran them into the ground and destroyed them by trying to please her, thus the cracks in the Casita reflecting the damage Abuela was inflicting on her family . Toxic is toxic and Abuela was toxic to her family and her past doesn't change that or excuse it. This is why Mirabel who actually loved and cared about the family not their gifts was the one to save the miracle.

[@prettyme4387]

I didn’t like Isabella either. She had no excuse being so rude to Mirabel and one song doesn’t fix all she did.

[@zaaami398]

@@cisio64123 I still think it's inaccurate to call Abuela abusive. that's a bit far.

[@sydneyjones6931]

I really couldn’t stand the way the grandma treated everyone, she didn’t allow Isabella to be an independent person she didn’t allow her to be herself she tried to control every aspect of her life, she literally tried to push her own son Bruno out of the family just because she didn’t understand his gift and saw him as a weak link, she treated Luisa as a servant, and what’s really sad is Bruno left to protect Mirabel from being treated how he was due to a vision, the second Maribel didn’t get a gift that Abuela could see she started treating Mirabel like she wasn’t apart of the family, she literally treated Maribel like a curse, she made Maribel have low self esteem. she literally tried to push Maribel out of the family just like Bruno. She didn’t respect her daughters, pepper had so much anxiety because she wasn’t free to feel her negative emotions, she made Maribel’s mother feel like she had to protect her daughters from Abuela so she wouldn’t kick them out of the family, the grandmother was why the house was breaking because she was breaking everyone in her family down. But Maribel saved her family, Marible loved everyone for who they were not for what they could do. Mirabel faught with her grandma to make changes that would actually help the family. She brought Bruno back she gave Luisa rest and she allowed Isabella the permission to be herself, the acceptance and love she needed. That’s why I love Maribel, even at the end the grandmother focused on what was broken, Maribel focused on how to fix everything. Maribel was the embodiment of the blessing, that’s why she was able to empower the others gifts.

[@roseatespoonbill234catherine]

Beautifully said! Absolutely!

[@kittenmimi5326]

Can't even spell "mirabel" smh

[@kbm875]

I relate to Luisa, being the older sister once upon ago a middle sibling, pressure of being the strong one, but inside, we break down from the heavy lifting of keeping our emotions or thoughts together... Well done Mr. Issac Carlson (Wotso!)

[@kbm875]

No, I was a middle with a younger sibling, but my eldest sibling doesn’t live with us anymore, chose a different life path, so I stepped up to fill in where they did not. Being a responsible sibling for the one who couldn’t. It's like Luisa, she takes the heavy weight of being strong for others, but who will be strong for her? Same goes for those who are told: Be strong for your sibling. But at the end of the day, you never think of how to let go or who can hear you. I think Mirabel's gift was communication, she was that listener and the only Madrigal who took time to listen and accept her family with no judgment, I know she thought Isabella was always perfect, but even Isabella was fronting, not wanting to always be perfect. So when you are in a place where you act more like an older sibling but you originated as a middle, you have a heavy burden, to be the strength of others or to get help. You don't want to burden others with your problems, but you know that they need you. Luisa wasn't the favorite because she represents vulnerability and how People carry the heavy load and never let go. That's my thought and story!

[@amdraglover]

See I’m the oldest but relate most to Louisa and I see my sister as Isabella tbh

[@mexicoxv2236]

the abuela want to keep the family safe, she doesn't prefer the members with special gift just put more pressure in the member that can be more helpful for the family, as luisa all is obedient with her was not necessary give many attention.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

Luisa reminds me of parentification: when a child is forced to take on too many responsibilities.

[@gabrielelliott2803]

I feel very bad for Luisa she never got tended to or never loved but Luisa is a whole queen. They used her and ordered her around she had no breaks as if she was taking on the whole world itself she was constantly put under pressure and it felt as if no one loved her except Mirabel she was the only one concerned for Luisa. Isabela even if she was the favorite abuela still put a- lot of pressure on her she never asked if she wanted to marry Mariano but she still forced her and she had to hold it all in as the oldest. She still went on with it for the family as she wanted to be was her self and express herself. Mirabel as the youngest lacked a gift and was always left out which abuela thought she was a burden to the family and let the whole town treat her like that making the whole town treat her like she wasn't anything special like her family. The towns people sucked they acted like they owned the place and stereotyped the madrigals as if they had a favorite i noticed that that's why i never really cared about them. The madrigals let them in their home and they still disrespected them. The town people thought they were the top priority and still were disrespectful. that's what i think though :) I also think the townspeople thought of the casita as a party place or something but the casita was there home and something they cherished. I love the casita :) I love Mirabel , Isabela , Luisa and the rest (Antiono to :) Even if the pedro died that was no way to treat her family pedro was the hope and she shouldv'e noticed that....

[@caramelbloom8341]

I really like how Luisa has a different body type then the standard Disney woman. Don't get my wrong, I don't think the standard somehow tall yet petite Disney female is horrible, I just enjoy how the is more broad shouldered and a little thicker. Her character looking like that is amazing because "She glows cause she knows what her worth is" and she doesn't need to be pencil thin. It's also expert shape language

[@igustibagusananda7706]

It's refreshing for sure. And plus, she is a good character :)

[@jahirareyes1102]

Sure, but how common is a woman with that apperance. I see , the broad shoulder as very masculine and probably inherently so as well its not something that i prefer , but to each their own.

[@caramelbloom8341]

@@jahirareyes1102 the thing is, there are women that look similar to her, me being one of them. Her design shows more than the Disney standard, and represents women who don't fit the industry mold. I understand if you don't fine that body type flattering, but that doesn't mean the representation means any less

[@jahirareyes1102]

@@caramelbloom8341 I'm not saying a woman can't be feminine and strong i'm saying the design of a Luisa seems rather unrealistic in real life .It has strong women and it has Luisa and her unrealistic proportions .But, i acknowledge it has women who look like that but the face is very masculine, not saying a woman can't have a masculine face .But, they could have at least tried to make her face a little more feminine,strong male features that if it was me would be embarrassed to show off .Tbh if i had Luisa's porportions i would be crying and vexed and i know the extremely thin appearance is not realistic either , i don't like that either. Again all of this is my opinion you are not obligated to agree if you don't want to .

[@doro5026]

@@jahirareyes1102 You are literally shaming her appearance in the same breath as justifying yourself. WTF dude. Her features are masculine? She has muscles that's the only thing that society thinks of as masculine. "Tbh if i had Luisa's porportions i would be crying and vexed" This is basically calling her ugly, not every woman is gonna look like Isabela. She has Colombian features such as a hook nose because she is Colombian, not because she looks like a man. Now I know you might not have meant it but a very popular microaggression to mention about POC women, especially muscly women is that they are masculine so that's why your comment came off to me as a bit standoffish.

[@jeriekae]

It really infuriated me the first time I watched the movie and saw that Luisa was carrying and herding the donkeys. The village people are just so lazy! They can do that without Luisa's help. Now I see that Abuela in fact has perpetuated this treatment. It's horrible.

[@drawsfelix]

Many think the donkeys in Surface Pressure are supposed to be a nod to Frozen 2 or just a joke, but it's Luisa comparing herself to animals who serve humans with no thanks.

[@JasmineTea127]

I agree! a donkey is like a work horse!

[@peppermint1968]

She is the most overworked Madrigal thats why she desrved that Solo in Surface Pressure 😂

[@aromaticchicken518]

Totally - originally I thought it was weird that Luisa got her own solo, but after reflection it makes 100% sense she would get it -- because out of all of the grandchildren's gifts, hers is arguably THE most useful to Abuela, the family, and the town... and yet even she can't fulfill expectations! It shows just how truly impossible it was for any of the grandchildren, no matter how miraculous their gift was

[@Bulbasaur617]

I didn't know Abuela didn't respect Luisa. I thought she gave respect and favoritism towards those that have Special gifts or she sees really useful in the family while leaving Maribel in the dark and not seeing her being useful. Thanks for explaining this and also giving your theory here.

[@mehnoorayesha4686]

I think that's what movie is like I mean we are fixated on miracle and Mirabel and abuela that none actually sees Luisa and those dynamics are pretty real like even in my family I can easily see these things where we are seeing each other but not neglecting at the same tym like everyone in madrigal family had issues but everyone kept pushing in the name of family till cracks began to show quite literally

[@sixfeetundertheradar6080]

I think to that this is quite possibly Abuella at her most stressed, her youngest grandchild had their gift ceremony which was filled with fear and uncertainty AND the whole marriage stress. So while this of course doesn’t excuse her actions it shows all of thee characters in a stressful few days not their average everyday lives. I’m sure Abuella was still passive aggressive but it probably wasn’t nearly as bad as the few days we saw in the movie. Tho if we hadn’t seen them all at the most stressed I don’t think the point of the movie would have come across as well

[@CaityRaindrop]

I would say she basically discarded Mirabel, not just disrespect. Mirabel is told to stay out of the while the rest of the family do everything as if she's a burden. Also all the *unsaid* that come out unintentionally when she does say something. I.e. to Antonio "a gift just as special as you are" ergo Mirabel wasn't special or deserving of a gift

[@theareid3794]

That’s what I’ve been saying. Moving houses and supplies is one thing but making her move things that could easily be done by someone else. Like when the donkeys get out. Really?! You couldn’t get them yourselves? Even the piano, while it may be difficult, it could easily be done by someone else. The town took advantage of her and that makes her song so much more heart breaking.

[@ivyriry]

I was so mad in my firts watch before her song. Like, how do you let the donkeys out so much she has to help with it AGAIN, and what are u doing that she had to be the one to put them back!!!

[@sfsin3380]

Plus the bridge moving at the start looks impressive but why did she need to do that it looks like there one river, people couldn't walk around? Same with the church why did that need to be moved?

[@ivyriry]

@@sfsin3380 probably so they walk less. Encanto is much bigger than what we are led lo believe by the quantity of people both in the party and the house reconstruction.

[@sfsin3380]

@@ivyriry That a convenience not a need in any other village without a magic family, You walk around or you build another bridge

[@ivyriry]

@@sfsin3380 yeah but what would be the point of having a magical family in town and not asking for favors. The problem here is that they are still not asking favors 😅, but ordering around a teenage girl without considering her load or if she even wants to do anything.

[@EmerickSin]

Mirabel, the disappointment. Luisa, the overlooked. Isabella, the overwatched. Mirabel's inner turmoil is shown to us and we understand how she feels from the moment we learn she didn't get a door. That she chooses to be mostly positive in her outlook despite feeling like a disappointment to her family, well, that's why we love her. If she'd turned out bitter we wouldn't have rooted for her as much, despite the fact we understood perfectly why she felt that way. Luisa's pain at being the strong one is understandable too. The middle child is usually overlooked because the oldest and youngest are more pressing, being the baby and forefront child respectively. It's why we watched shows like Malcolm in the Middle. The middle child is overlooked and we feel for them. Luisa could have turned bitter as well, but she didn't. She dealt with it on her own and tried to hold it all inside even though she, just like Mirabel, was longing to be seen. By anyone, really. But especially the Abuela. Isabella constantly has eyes on her. She is expected to be the perfect golden child, and her power of flowers (it's plants, but Abuela sees only perfect flowers) solidifies this image in the family's minds. That's not to say I think Julieta ever treated Isabella poorly; she seems a very loving mother. But in trying to dote more on Mirabel because of the crushing weight of being the only family member to not have a door, she overlooked Isabella and left her more under Abuela's careful watch. To Mirabel, Isabella has the perfect life, power and prestige and respect, but to Isabella, Mirabel probably has the perfect life. Isabella's mistreatment of Mirabel stems from her jealousy. She probably wishes she didn't have powers and could just do whatever she wanted without everyone expecting so much from her. Without everyone expecting her to be perfect and pretty and everything. So we can see perfectly why Isabella is a bully to Mirabel and says Mirabel ruined her life. Some of that is jealousy, the rest is probably from her belief that if Mirabel had a gift then some of the pressure would be off Isabella as well. All three of them are in their own purgatories and I am here for it. I do wish we got to see more of Isabella and Luisa's turmoil on screen, or just more of them in general, but Encanto is relatively short compared to most movies these days at only about 1.5 hours. That's a lot to cram in with so many characters. They each get their song moments and that's about it as far as witnessing their true feelings. I almost feel like this show could be a good TV show continuation, as they learn to break old habits and lean on each other more and come out of their shells and bring down their own personal walls. The movie wraps up nicely but let's be real, those issues aren't solved overnight. It will take years before they can change how they've felt/thought most of their lives. Progress isn't linear. Steps forward and back and sideways and trial and error and everything in between. Even if they'd never gotten their powers back they'd still have a heck of a lot to work through. Now that they do have them back, it would be so easy to fall into old habits. So easy to rely on the strong one and ignore the gift less one. Time can heal things but it can also let you slip, step by step, back into hurtful behaviour/habits.

[@gigimarie6465]

I agree and that is what worried me about the ending when they all got powers back except for the physically powerless ones. I worried that it would undo what was just done

[@aleenurr]

Well said, im your 12th like.

[@m1dzyy990]

Essay comment

[@octavianjoseph8633]

@@gigimarie6465 What are you talking about?

[@anubisgodess2353]

I was surprised to see how many people related to Louisa when they had seen the film it's baffling that it's way more common and awful that it happens. Having burdens and living up to expectations can B detrimental to a person

[@Zarugoza5969]

OMG it's you! Hey!

[@anubisgodess2353]

@@Zarugoza5969 Oh hey Aru! You're a fan of Encanto too? Great Taste.

[@ameliasegan2138]

Putting on a brave face for my family

[@DPNARII]

I relate to her a little too much 🥲

[@Queen_Of_Discord]

Tbh when I first saw Luisa in the first trailer, I thought she’d be a preachy “strong female character who don’t need no man” and they’d talk about “how strong she is and amazing and btw she’s a woman, we’re so progressive for putting muscles on a girl” but there’s so much more to her, and honestly she’s probably my favorite of all the Madrigals (except Bruno but that’s not really a fair competition)

[@nantae1047]

ALL characters in this broke the expectatives Abuela didn't end up being the loving matriarch keeping the family well everyone tought Isabela didn't end up being the spoiled brat everyone tought Bruno didn't end up being the villain of the movie as everyone thought Camilo acted like an actual teenager unlike 80% tv "teens" And Mirabel was actually adorable and relatable unlike my first impression of her as a quirky anoying protagonist that would get her power/gift at the end of the movie anyways

[@rebekahvaught2747]

In your other video, you discussed how Isabela was almost identical to Young Abeula Alma, and how Abuela tried to live vicariously through Isa, especially by pushing her arranged marriage to Mariano in hopes they'd be the Second Coming of her and Abuelo Pedro. I think Abeula, especially as a young woman, was always very traditionally feminine, and she tried to mold Isabela into that same idealized hyperfeminity. When it came to Luisa, I think Abeula ignored her because she didn't consider her truly feminine. Mirabel called Luisa "the Beauty and the Brawn," acknowledging she was both physically strong and physically attractive. But to Abeula's rigid traditional standards, I think she saw Luisa as very masculine and too muscular, especially compared to slime princess-y Isa. She was built for hard work, but not love and adoration. Narrow unrealistic beauty standards are so toxic. 😔😔😔

[@aromaticchicken518]

except prior to her trauma of being displaced and having her husband murdered in front of her, young Abuela was much more playful and not necessarily ladylike! When she and Abuelo first meet, she's eating with her mouthful and being very "Anna from Frozen"-like! She's totally flirty with Abuelo, too, instead of the quiet obedient Isabella waiting to be betrothed and totally silent at her own engagement dinner! Young Abuela was definitely not "perfect" or well-mannered. She only becomes hardened and perfectionist after the trauma, as a defense mechanism to protect her family. You see it in Dos Oruguitas when she stands up and "walks down the hallway", that's the moment she no longer is the playful young girl that you see Mirabel.

[@lucidfangirl1030]

I believe she was talking about both her sisters when she said Beauty and the Brawn". As least, that how I interpreted it, this movie has so many angles

[@rebekahvaught2747]

It's very possible Mirabel was referring to both of her older sisters and she dubbed Isabela the stereotypical "Besuty" and Luisa the stereotypical "Brawn." You're right that Encanto's plot and music provide ample opportunities for equally valid interpretations. It's a very smart movie in many respects rather than just a mere cartoon.

[@KindredKeepsake]

God, that's dark. I love it. But you killed me at "slime princess-y Isa". XD Roasted her good!!

[@rebekahvaught2747]

I actually meant to type "slim," but made a typo by accidentally adding an "e." 😅 Actually, I think both Luisa and Isabela's different body types are beautiful. All the Madrigal Women are gorgeous and unique. But traditional toxic beauty standards definitely would consider Luisa's muscular build less feminine. I believe a recent article talked about how the Encanto directors had to fight for Luisa's design? Maybe I'm wrong?

[@Yumino_7435]

Luisa: **Literally fixing the whole village* Abuela: I sleep Isabella: **Breathes* Abuela: *My darling is perfect*

[@Cattyfakestaler]

i hated Abuela

[@samanthahamilton9117]

It’s worth noting that Luisa is also apparently quite well educated. She knows Greek mythology, and enough about more recent history to refer to the sinking of the Titanic.

[@YellowBear-kx1ff]

We need a Disney Princess with Luisa’s muscles. A muscular Disney Princess. Heck, maybe LUISA could become the first muscular Disney Princess in a sequel to Encanto. Who’s with me?

[@Aceshot-uu7yx]

What do you meen Maui is the ultimate Disney princess

[@YellowBear-kx1ff]

@@Aceshot-uu7yx Maui would do good at being a Disney PRINCE. Let’s take a look at Luisa’s requirements: Human? Yes. Primary role in animated film? Maybe Introduced in a sequel? No. Born royal? No Marry royal? No Perform act of heroism? Let’s hope Encanto 2 gives her her time to shine.

[@mrjta4087]

@@YellowBear-kx1ff I doubt they'd do an Encanto 2

[@theultimateusukfan]

@@mrjta4087 i personally think they should make encanto a show. there's a lot in the film that is underdeveloped and unexplored. a show would help it out greatly.

[@Chellex93]

@@Aceshot-uu7yx what about Disney's Marvel's Thor? Luscious locks ✔️ Beautiful ✔️ Animals talk to him(🦝) ✔️ His dad (Odin) is basically royalty ✔️ Idk seems like he's a Disney princess to me 🤷‍♀️

[@SarahDavisSings]

I think it would be interesting to see parts of the movie from Luisa's perspective. We see her parents pushing back when things are targeted at Mirabel, but the movie is focused on Mirabel's perspective. The director said that Abuela was thrilled Félix married in but more just tolerated Agustín - she couldn't talk Julieta out of it, basically - and it shows. While I'm sure she has her issues with Pepa and Félix's kids, you really see how she seems focused on the other side of the family. I wonder if that's because she subconsciously trusts Félix to parent and not Agustín. Agustín, for his part, is chasing after Luisa when she breaks down and, for some reason, he's doing very physical errands in town even though he is bound to get injured doing them. He's clearly a great pianist and dancer - why isn't he offering lessons? All I can figure, and it's basically a HC at this point, is that he can't get Abuela to lay off (she blows him off in the movie) so he takes on what tasks he can that would have otherwise gone to Luisa.

[@oncefighting]

1000% because Pepa and Felix are more outspoken, the moment Abuela does some sht to their kids, they would probably stand up to her. Also you might be right :< he might take up jobs that Luisa might get and knows he’ll get injured but does it anyway.

[@Kahtisemo]

Part of that might be how well Felix seems to keep Pepa in line so she viewed him as useful in a way because that would be one less thing for Abuela to micromanage since she may remind Pepa not to cloud but he's nearly always there to calm her down. Augustin on the other hand doesn't have much use except when she asks him to provide music. And even that may have come up as something he felt he could offer when trying to get her to warm up to him marrying Julietta. On the note of Pepa's kids, you two reminded me how it seems Camillo isn't treated anywhere nearly as hard as Luisa, but Abuela orders him around for physical chores when she sees a use for him. I wonder if she prefers to focus on physical abilities because she understands and can see use for them better than the more subtle powers.

[@tymondabrowski12]

@@oncefighting It's kinda sad since we can see in the movie that both Augustin and Julieta did try to protect their children from Abuela (the "I was thinking of my daughter!" scene was great). But it was probably way too little too late :/

[@MandVersusNature]

You’re so right!! He was chopping wood, a chore Luisa could have easily done, to help her!! Omg. 😭

[@stormwright8300]

@@Kahtisemo I think you're right that she focuses on physical powers. Camilo's only real use to her is to be everyone else, the whole town pretty much treats Luisa as a servant, Pepa is useful for weather and crops, and Julieta heals the whole town, which must be tough since she's the only one going gray. Dolores is pretty much akin to a messenger pigeon and Isabela is a walking decoration that Abuela live vicariously through. Plus when they all sit down at the table after Antonio's ceremony, she even says "I'm sure we'll find some use for your gift." She pretty much uses the entire family only when they serve some sort of purpose to her or the town. I'm not even sure if we see her really interacting positively with anyone in the family before the conversation with Mirabel and parts of Antonio's ceremony

[@gamingbrother1699]

Abuela is a Disney Villain on an emotional level.

[@artperson7617]

Yeah I know she was traumatized but when I think of how she kind of made the whole family so miserable because of it...it's just hard for me to think of anything else when looking at her

[@gamingbrother1699]

@@artperson7617 exactly. You don't just put years of emotional trauma on your whole family and be like "Sorry my bad. Let's hug it out."

[@Showtunediva]

I agree! She is very similar to Mother Gothel.

[@nantae1047]

@Rachel Leong even more if you add the tangled series lore in wich she abandoned her one and only bio daugther to care for rapunzel

[@nantae1047]

@@gamingbrother1699 oh from where? And do you live there or have imigrated? I was born and live in Chile and one of my grandpas was a cop during the Pinochet dictatorship, I believe that definetely left some screws loose in him

[@JasLamArr91]

Luisa needs a Disney short special, to see how she is now.

[@jenniferikelman5516]

I think the repeated line in Surface Pressure "no mistakes" is important to point out. How hard it must have been for 5 year old Luisa to manage her gift at first. She probably crushed more than a few drinking glasses in her grip and accidentally hurt her friends while playing. I am sure she got lectures from Abuela about responsibility and the dangers of her ever making a mistake.

[@sierrahestum8007]

I remember yelling at the TV when I first watched this… “why is no one helping her?”…. “They’re exploiting her!” And the one that caused my family to argue.. “the only offered to help her AFTER they all lost their powers!” 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@tgbluewolf]

I think Abuela kept them so focused on honing their own gifts that they just didn't see when anyone in the family needed help. The loss of their powers was the start of their growth and character development.

[@andrewgreeb916]

@@tgbluewolf honing is the right word, as it was only about specific "useful" attributes of the gifts that were wanted, considering Isabela never realized she could make so many different kinds of plants instead of the flowers

[@rainy1915]

Luisa is just a little girl trapped in a superhero's body. What if Luisa had a love interest or fell for a cute guy and decided to be more feminine? Putting her hair down, wearing pretty dresses, and acting all girly? Abuela will get upset because how dare Luisa gets a boyfriend? She's the foundation, the donkey and servant to the Madrigal! How dare a teenage girl has a crush on a cute villager! In this essay Ill-

[@YellowBear-kx1ff]

I think she will fall in love with a guy who is physically weak. She could be his bodyguard.

[@lucidfangirl1030]

@@YellowBear-kx1ff lol

[@KindredKeepsake]

Isabela could totally give her a makeover if she wanted one. Ladies Night!!

[@rainy1915]

@@YellowBear-kx1ff yeah like he’s sick or something kinda like Viktor from Arcane! Delicate and slight compared to the contrast of Luisa

[@rainy1915]

@@KindredKeepsake make her feel like a woman and give her tips since Isa is a pro on this!

[@bobkarafin]

Thanks Isaac! I was hoping you’d do a segment about Luisa; she’s my favorite character in Encanto (If there’s a continuation series on Disney Plus I hope she’s given a bigger role)

[@OzzyDrixClay]

m.youtube.com/watch=1KoXh6QSN4w

[@mayle2010]

I really appreciate how your mom was able to give you perspective on how people could treat your little brother. That's so smart of her and such a good example.

[@ricavillegas6522]

Exactly! This is the very reason why I hate all those people who call Luisa a crybaby! Like wtf are you talking about?! I can't blame Luisa, she is only 19!!!! 19!!!!! And imagine her being treated like this and I can't blame her. If I'm on Luisa's position I would be like this too, Dude!! Can't you see how hurt Luisa was because of the things Abuela made to her? Where was you all throughout the movie that you have the audacity to call Luisa a crybaby? She's a human to, she does have the right to cry and be sad, what's wrong with expressing how you feels?! This is the reason why depressed people doesn't tell or show to anyone that they need help cause just like Luisa, people would only call them a crybaby instead of knowing their stories and listening to their struggles. Arrrgggh

[@beeveetheories1330]

I totally respect your Passion for your channel. Being from South Africa.......it's rare to find someone that does theories in my country. Thanks for the inspiration from far.

[@thenjm6624]

Yes, middle child syndrome isn’t just a syndrome, it’s a fact

[@clairefranzen5753]

I was just thinking last night about how some of the Madrigal's (mostly Bruno and Luisa) are often overworked and what would happen if some of they were given that time to breathe. I think it would help the family a lot if there was some kind of a limit of how much they could work so their contributions could be appreciated and they could take a break. I think the reason Luisa's gift was the first to fade was because not only is that gift a huge responsibility, it was also one of the most relied on, while Luisa had no idea who she was without it.

[@mariafernandaricaud5206]

As a middle child this hit me hard, and it makes sense we never got to see Luisa’s or Camilos room and already that gives off middle child vibes…We’re not forgotten, but we’re appreciated…

[@DorotaGabal]

I would say Luisa has a lot more in common with the oldest child, though she does enjoy the neglect of the middle child too. If you take the Surface Pressure song literally, they're burdening her with all the family trouble, that's not just carrying bricks, that's being let in on the struggles, and pressures and stress and worries the family has. That would in a normal family be insight into financial struggles, marital struggles, expectations... This is typically the oldest child's role. Not always, but often, the younger children are shielded from this, because only one child is commonly parentified. The oldest. And the emotional and psychological struggle experienced by them is _exactly_ what Luisa expresses.

[@stormwright8300]

Not to mention being burdened with carrying the entire town and having her struggles minimized because she's strong

[@testerwulf3357]

It's even worse when you realize she's been stuck like this since a young age! Ever since she got her gift things were likely just thrown at her to do..People stopped doing their own work and expected her to carry everything for them simply because she's strong; she probably skipped a lot of her childhood having to grow up fast because people relied on her so heavily.

[@ChristLovesUs13]

I've seen Luisa being called a Cry Baby, and that is so WRONG. She's not! How would you feel if you though YOU had that much pressure to be good enough on yourself???? Luisa needs more credit for keeping that inside and keeping it cool. Cry babies cry because they don't get what they want, or are just overly sensitive. Luisa is overloaded, so we need to give her grace. THere's only so much 1 person can do.

[@raydgreenwald7788]

This hurts more knowing that not even Disney felt Lusia was important enough to make merch of her

[@oncefighting]

They made a touching song for her and older/middle kids and have the audacity to not make merch... missed opportunity for them tbh

[@amandakrause9394]

One of my kids got a Luisa toy in their McDonald’s happy meal one time lol maybe that’s the only merch of her 😬

[@MandVersusNature]

@@amandakrause9394 there’s a doll and there’s figures but they’re all part of a set. They sold a mirabel and Isabela doll by themselves but not Luisa ugh. So yes I have the 4 pack w her and her sisters and Antonio.

[@andrewgreeb916]

@@oncefighting there's always a disconnect between writers and producers, pretty sure the gap has widened as of late

[@GMAMEC]

People have made Disney aware of Luisa. Being stuck on princesses for decades has been an ingrained in the minds of the “higher ups”. Thankfully, the “princess barbie” narrative is slowly changing.

[@TheRevanchrist]

I get the feeling that considering Luisa's gift was the most practical of the family, the was considered to be the most reliable yet both the family and the community in time took her for granted because they knew that they can count her to help without fail and never took a moment to think that Luisa could use a break for all her hard work that she does with relative ease.

[@aromaticchicken518]

One of my favorite little moments in the entire movie is when -- after the disaster at the engagement dinner -- Augustin thinks first to chase after and comfort Luisa, rather than everyone else who is worried about Bruno's prophecy or Isabella's failed engagement

[@eddog6666]

It is interesting that to get to the root of the problem they had to follow the cracks. I think if it went on any longer Mirabel would have cracked first. I say the confrontation was needed. In Mirabel’s I want song you can hear her progress from sadness to desire and anger which would eventually lead to rage and hate. I think Mirabel is the closest Disney protagonists that was on a route to possibly to become the villain of the movie. I think Disney took the lesson from the worst world in kingdom hearts 3 frozen to heart.

[@nantae1047]

What that frozen level could have been 😔

[@ravenclawfairy3648]

I related hard to Luisa. After I got out of school, despite being told repeatedly that my intelligence was not everything, I still felt so out of place once I graduated college. I had my Mirabel in my brother and my boyfriend thankfully, and my own family was very patient and always reminded me I was more than my brain ❤️

[@sparxmaiden841]

I see your points, but I dont see it as Miabel getting attention so much as every time something went "wrong" it was "Mirabels fault". Abuela only noticed Mirabel when she saw her as being in the way or the cause of a problem. At this point, I think Isabella got ALL the attention, too much. Which was it's own kind of pressure. I think that Mira and Louisa were both abandoned in their own way, Louisa as only being worth her "service" and Mirables contributions worthless because they weren't added through a gift Abuela and the town could exploit.

[@bersabrie]

Gotta admit the arsenal Alma had in her control: a grand daughter who can yeet house sized projectiles toward any threats, a grandson who masters animals, a grandson who can confuse troop movements through subterfuge and just bad intel, a grand daughter who can probably overhear any tactics within a mile, a son who could foresee threats BEFORE they happen, a daughter who can control the weather. Her remaining daughter who can heal defenders of the village. Oh and also a Hispanic Maleficent who can grow so much defensive barriers through nature. Just saying, imagine Alma holding a grudge against the troops who took Pedro from her. It would be a completely different story.

[@KindredKeepsake]

Well said. Luisa deserved so much better, and it's a shame that she got recognition after over a decade of having a gift. It was more of a curse, really. (Most of those gifts were curses, at that...) She was less than a servant to the town. At least servants are paid for their efforts, and recognized in most environments. I don't remember anybody giving Luisa so much a "thank you". Luisa, on the other hand, was worse off than a servant. She was a work-horse--an ox who pulls carts. And it's no wonder why they make her interact with animals so much, because maybe they see her as one, too.

[@nolando_does_it9714]

Isabela is the second oldest, yet she does carries the family’s weight just like a first born . (Edit I meat Luisa ). GRUL she goes through soo much .. it’s soo easy to get her confused with the Oldest sibling

[@lilothendriks5319]

Actually Isabela Madrigal is the first child, Mirabel's oldest sister. fun fact: Isabela is also the eldest grandchild in the Madrigal family💮

[@theminnie976]

Isabela is the first born. She’s like 21 and Luisa is around 19.

[@nolando_does_it9714]

I meant iuisa 😭😭

[@annaanimated1305]

Isabela is oldest cousin and also is the same age as Delores and mirabel is a few months younger than Camilo their also the same age

[@nolando_does_it9714]

@@lilothendriks5319 I meant Luisa 😭 seee she go’s through soo much that we keep mistaking her for the oldest 😭😂

[@Tinkerbe11]

I think, the problem was also, that Luisa looked strong. She was physically strong, and nobody thought that she could be weak and insecure inside. And she pretended to be as strong on the inside as she was on the outside, but pretending to be strong is just very stressful. When Mirabel came to her and she sang that song, she was still physically strong and had no problems with that, but she was suffering from the expectations to be mentally strong as well, and not show any weakness.

[@notane.real1]

Little did they know the scars you can't see are the ones that hurt the most

[@NicoleChorney]

The first time I watched Encanto, I was put off with how Abuela and others treated some of the family members. The abuse of Luisa, neglect of Mirabel, and shunning of Bruno made me not feel too bad when the Miracle Candle failed. I felt really bad for Luisa because her whole life seemed to be centered on her physical ability and without the Gift, she'd be more lost than the others.

[@artemisz9247]

I’m a middle child of 3 and I relate so much to Louisa, this video is so spot on. (Cue rant in 3-2-1) My older sister had a bunch of learning disabilities, so I was expected to do the learning on my own, and keep my grades to myself as it would have made her feel less then. I went to athletic and academic competitions on my own, but all of my trophies were hidden in a cupboard in my room. They babied my little sister so much after she was born (I was honestly jealous), she got everything handed to her so they make her life easier. I grew up helping around the house/school/training, because it seemed like I was at least needed. I loved how my Dad’s face lit up when I offered to take over teaching my older sister math or my homeroom teacher thanked me for staying to tidy things up (I just didn’t like to go home early, after a while me helping out was normal, so the appreciation kinda stopped/dimmed). I never knew how much I worked until recently. They are all amazing and I love them to death, I’m 21 now and the first one of the family to go to university abroad, but I still can’t wrap my head around that this is the most relaxed I’ve been in my entire life. I Still have the immense workload of a working university student. But it can’t be compared with the amount of work and strain I put in to take care of 4 people from Age 6. Thanks fo taking my rant, Louisa rules 🤛🤛🤛. And no matter adult you are, crying over silly things is okay!

[@mydisneyrecovery1103]

This is so true. When you fall into the "Helper" role in your family it is often assumed that that is your only role. No one helps the Helper. No one even thinks about it. Sometimes people even get angry when the Helper expresses a need for help, despite that expressing that need was VERY hard for them. When it gets slapped back in their face it only confirms what they always suspected: people only want you for the sake of what you can do for them. As someone who worked in healthcare I have met a LOT of people who were the Louisa's in their family. It's tough

[@EChacon]

I really enjoy Luisa as a character and the struggles she experienced for years on doing the heavy lifting and tasks that stressed and pressured her out and during the song "Surface Pressure" she really just wanted to just have relaxation from time to time without the pressures and burdens put on by Abuela and townsfolk. On top of that, she is also another of the Madrigal Family Members that wasn't to harsh on Mirabel in the film besides Julieta and Agustín (the girls parents), Antonio, Bruno, Felix and to a degree Dolores and Camilo. On top of that she is really a Gentle Giant.

[@noriakikakyoin6983]

I relate a lot to Luisa, as the oldest sibling in my family

[@mosthatedty9585]

Luisa isn’t the oldest sibling but that doesn’t make her less relatable

[@betajewel9413]

Same. Only girl, three younger brothers, oldest of the four

[@optimisticprime5711]

I thought you were an only child, Kakyoin?

[@harrisonballinger7180]

Perhaps I'm thinking way to deep into it, but the line, "Under the surface, was Hercules ever like ,"Yo, I really don't wanna fight Cerberus."? Is a good question. Think about the actual myth: 1: That was labor number 12. 2: that was MAKE UP labor number 2. (By the way, there where 2 make up labors.) 3: Cars, trains, and other modern vehicles weren't invented yet. 4: He's only in that situation because Hera made him go nuts. 5: At 1 point Hercules got so tired he shot an arrow at Apollo, who gave him a lift. 6: In no telling does it say that Hercules took a break between labors. Except for that one time with the centaurs, and a brief cameo on the Argo.

[@readilykatie8312]

I think some of abuela’s disregard for Luisa comes from Luisa not being traditionally girly, mixing her strength superpower with the servitude that girls are often held to by other (older) female relatives.

[@FallingGalaxy]

Yeah the world over many a society decides girls that aren't girly enough and guys that aren't manly enough are somehow the opposite entirely and easily stuffed into another box or even ignored or pressured to change. It's depressingly ignorant of society but I'm hopeful because that's ever so slowly changing.

[@cferracini]

It broke my heart when Luiza sang "I’m pretty surе I’m worthless is I can’t be of servicе"

[@sacredsyrena680]

It makes sense now that even after everyone lost their powers and Mirabel was beginning to sing All of You, there was a part where Luisa still tried to push the rock up -- where Mirabel ran over to help her and say "I think it's time you learn, you are more than just your gift.. :) " and Luisa's facial expression broke my heart because it seems to me that, her face at that time showed that finally after all this time, she could finally not feel all this pressure on her to be "strong" and that she really IS more than what her gift is

[@selenag6402]

Thank you for this! I noticed this early on and I was so upset because she was always used by everyone but never appreciated by anyone.

[@annegriswold2116]

They get their gifts at 5, Luisa is 19 when the events take place so she's been doing this service for over a decade. I imagine it grew over time but probably when they realized that her gift was super strength she started getting asked to do things so came to think her only value as a person was serving others. At the very least Abuela did seem sorry since Luisa was included in the ones that were shown when she realized just what she had done to her own family. She also drove away her only son, she put this perfect image on Isabella to the point she was willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of the family, and looked down on Mirabel for not receiving a door. I'm glad Luisa does seem happy at the end when she realizes in revealing to her sisters while rebuilding the house that she cries and seemed surprised yet very pleased they support her and don't think less of her.

[@Akursedtime]

It took me a while to see it. Maybe me dumb but now I can understand why Mirabel is closer to Luisa. They were mistreated by Alma so they find it easier to rely on one another.

[@andrewkohler3707]

1:07 - "Sure, there are a lot of madrigals who have helpful gifts" - Are there, though? Luisa and Julieta, certainly. Antonio probably, but he's just gotten them and he's only five years old. Dolores can snoop on people, which doesn't exactly benefit the town. Isa has a party trick. Camilo has a party trick that can be used for nefarious purposes. Pepa's "gift" is more of a liability than anything. And we don't talk about Bruno (although he's our favorite). No wonder Luisa is the one who does all the work; she's the one who's actually exploitable!

[@tatianamelendez490]

Interestingly, even if Mirabel and Bruno are the black sheep of the family, there's an argument for connecting Bruno and Luisa. Both are the middle siblings, and both try their best to help the family and community with their respective gifts. But Bruno's predictions, which could've served as a warning or a call to prepare for people, were instead twisted negatively cause they weren't what they wanted to hear. So he had to dissappear and Luisa saw that from a young age. I bet Abuela put her to work from a young age too. So it's not only Abuela's pressure but also the fear of becoming like Bruno that makes Luisa over-compensate and take on all this weight. As a middle child myself, this hit like a mountain fell on me.

[@stormwright8300]

She put everyone to work by 5. Since that's when everyone gets their gift, as shown by Mirabel and Antonio. So yea, Luisa was put to work, Pepa had to control her clouds and was apparently never taught how to calm herself or her anxiety, Julieta was healing the town, even Dolores could hear everything by that time

[@dyingsanity.]

I love how even though Luisa was the strongest, she was also the kindest.

[@Andrea-qx7oy]

I love when Agustin follows Luisa after dinner to console her when she said she's a loser

[@kc.dia.]

Not only is Luisa a middle child, she doesn't have a same age cousin unlike her sisters which could make confiding in someone tough... though for many years it was probably tough on them all

[@ldcraig2006]

At 3:55 you see the look of fear in Luisa's eyes, and how her confidence is standing on a very precarious foundation. She admits in her (marvelous, fantastic) song that she's afraid she's worth nothing if she can't be of service to the family. But you can also see how the constant drain of expectations is taking its toll on her. She's my favorite character.

[@brezzainvernale]

As a middle child I can say: It's totally true, mostly they are not really taken seriously in the family... a middle child is not the first and not the last. It's just here.

[@winalfie]

I feel like Luisa is more of a Older child taking all responsibilities while the youngest (Isabela) is being praised. Mirabel seems more of a middle child because she gets ignored due to not having a gift.

[@patrinamorgan9949]

It was confirmed by the director that she's the middle child

[@darylesells19]

Mirabel is actually the youngest since hers was the last gift ceremony before Antonio’s. And Isabela is the oldest of the sisters.

[@dnd4346]

@@darylesells19 they said "I feel" meaning they're speaking from a realistic/ personal perspective I understand that that's how it was casted and that's their actual age but I feel like the way Luisa is treated is similar to how the oldest child is treated we're expected to look after everyone and there's so much responsibility on our shoulders I heavily related to her. Isabella behaves and gets treated like the youngest child because realistically the youngest receives all the attention and praise and they can never do no wrong. Mirabel gets treated like the middle child bc she's never any good and is always being compared to the oldest everything's always her fault and she feels like no one cares about her (which they don't) no one even cared if she was in the family picture. Again this is just my opinion and how I precieve it realistically comparing it to my life (the oldest child of all my siblings)

[@Ryder-a-Blaze]

Encanto is the second Disney movie that made me hate the grandma so much, the first being Coco.

[@YellowBear-kx1ff]

It isn’t Pixar, otherwise SCB would’ve done a video explaining how it fits into the Pixar Theory by now.

[@iammemys2213]

Wait Why do you hate Grandma in Coco?

[@vivianphillips768]

uh… why did you hate the grandma in Coco 😭 wait so you mean the great grandma or the regular grandma

[@Ryder-a-Blaze]

@@iammemys2213 I hated the grandma who destroyed Miguel’s guitar.

[@boyroy4u]

Thank you for the little Abula love at the end. People want to vilify Abula for hurting her family so much that they forget the entire end of the movie where they showed that Abula was also suffering. It would have been nice to see Abula reconnect with her other grandchildren and not just Mirabel, it was needed to see all those hearts healed (especially Luisa)

[@infinessia4019]

It’s amazing how each sibling gets the three tier side of abusive family practices, you got the golden child, you got the black sheep/problem child, and finally the invisible child.

[@medicmist]

I can only imagine how the town reacted when Abuela started making a 5 year old lift houses and stuff

[@TheEphemeralEternity]

While i do agree with the unnecessary pressure put on Luisa, there is a certain amount of personal responsibility to attend to your own need for love and respect. I related to her character as the only child in an asian household, the pressure of expectations builds like a bottle before spilling over uncontrollably. The behavior keeps you and everyone else happy 90% of the time; however, you dread the remaining 10% of the time where you tired limbs break under the strain and you grin and try to hide it out of fear of being worthless/useless. Abuela shouldnt have put everything on Luisa, but Luisa needed to be able to say when it hurts too much; understanding that you don't need to carry the whole world ln your shoulders to earn an ounce of love is part of maturing too.

[@ericad8412]

Its all easier said than done

[@ami_honestly]

But she's also still a child. I experienced the same amount of pressure growing up, but couldn't start helping myself until I was an adult. That's when you have more freedom to choose. Even then, it's hard sometimes, but that's what therapy is for. 🤣

[@TheEphemeralEternity]

@@ericad8412 true but still needs to be done.

[@tymondabrowski12]

Notice that Maribel is just listening to Luisa, she's not really doing any emotional work for her. Luisa noticed a problem on her own, and later we could see her saying she did try to work towards solving the situation - by carrying and doing less - but at that time, she felt too guilty and started doing too much again. Note that the first part of the movie takes maybe like three days - it's way too little, no one matures instantly like that (hence her guilt and restoring old habits). And then the next months are summed up in one song. We can see her family helping in the process. But frankly, even if the movie events didn't happen and the family wasn't there to help her, she did make the first few steps herself, so there would be chance for her growth (but that's in the realm of "what ifs"). Maribel was mostly needed as an outlet - to listen seriously and to show that this is ok to feel (see that the same is mostly true for Isabel too). And sure, without Maribel it would probably take more time. But it's not like Luisa was just passively fed the new wisdom by someone else.

[@troperhghar9898]

Alma is a traditional 70 something who prefers her traditionally feminine granddaughter who will be engaged in a few days over luisa Makes sense to me

[@christophhenninger6440]

There is one more thing: The only person that matters to Julietta seems to be Mirabel. I mean she defends her youngest daughter because she is powerless, but she never defends her other daughters for the burden packed onto them, since while Luisa has the burden of always having to do all the chores, Isabell has the burden to always seem perfect to others, to having her live pre-decided by Alma. But it would be Juliettas and Augustines role to protect them and to see how Juliettas mother was a really bad influence on them.

[@Melody-ig9nv]

I identified so much with Isabella and Luisa, their dynamic to what people expected of them to how they actually were was so impressively told. I’d consider myself a mesh of both Luisa and Isabella seeming I am a middle child of two brothers with ADHD and ADD. Being told I’m the “rose between the thorns” and having so much potential, I’m both praised but forgotten seeming my brothers need additional help and that I’m able to take care of myself. Personally, both Luisa’s and Isabella’s break down/through moments reminded me a lot of my own perfectionist problems. Me being perfect is all I have to peoples own perceptions of me, without that I’m a thorn. These two sisters really are the embodiment of never being enough to someone, but the fact that they accepted and chose to grow for themselves at the end really is the best outcome and one I strive for

[@DevsQuillsandCartoons]

This was a wonderful examination of Luisa’s relationship with Abuela Alma. I can’t wait to see which character/event in Encanto you examine next

[@adella295]

It is because in most latin culture, no matter how bad the senior person in your family you should respect them, and because you are younger you will not be respected by the seniors in your family. As a young person, the only thing that you can do is to suck it up and endure it, because if you try to resist their abuse, you are ungrateful.

[@aditikapil2032]

I like to imagine her mother was there for her. you saw how caring Julieta is she must of came to her after the dinner.

[@aliyahstinard3038]

I cant believe no one has mentioned the great advice your mom gave to you! I gotta give mad props to her. "Your friends will treat your younger brother the same way you do." That's a jewel of wisdom. She must be an amazing woman!

[@Huhu0137]

I love how your Encanto videos mentioned abuala’s perspective instead of simply blaming her for everything.

[@andrewchapman2024]

The more I think about it, the more I realize they were one big happy dysfunctional family with the broken grandma at the healm.